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Treatments

An FDA committee voted to approve Palforzia, a new treatment for peanut allergy. The treatment is a form of oral immunotherapy intended to desensitize the immune system to peanuts.
Lauri Patterson/Getty Images
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KCUR 89.3

These human embryo-like structures (top) were synthesized from human stem cells; they've been stained to illustrate different cell types. Images (bottom) of the "embryoids" in the new device that was invented to make them.
Yi Zheng/University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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After Months In A Dish, Lab-Grown Minibrains Start Making 'Brain Waves'

A man cools off in a fountain in New York's Washington Square Park this summer. Death from all causes doubled during a heat wave in New York City in August 1975, with heart attacks and strokes accounting for a majority of the excess deaths.
Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Though not the same as actually jumping into the waves, a virtual reality program like this one that let a headset-wearing patient "swim with dolphins" was enough of an immersive distraction to significantly reduce pain, a study found.
Courtesy of Cedars Sinai/Screenshot by NPR
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Got Pain? A Virtual Swim With Dolphins May Help Melt It Away

Mahmee CEO Melissa Hanna (right) and her mother, Linda Hanna (left), co-founded the company in 2014. Linda's more than 40 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse and certified lactation consultant helped them understand the need, they say.
Keith Alcantara/Mahmee
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This App Aims To Save New Moms' Lives

A Harvard research team's prototype of a portable exosuit is made of cloth components worn at the waist and thighs. A computer that's built into the shorts uses an algorithm that can sense when the user shifts between a walking gait and a running gait.
Wyss Institute at Harvard University
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These Experimental Shorts Are An 'Exosuit' That Boosts Endurance On The Trail

Timely support and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can help children focus and thrive, pediatricians say. But it takes close follow-up after diagnosis to tailor that treatment and avoid drug side effects.
Weeraya Siankulpatanakij/EyeEm/Getty Images
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Most Kids On Medicaid Who Are Prescribed ADHD Drugs Don't Get Proper Follow-Up

Therapists Marcela Ot'alora and Bruce Poulter are trained to conduct MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. In this reenactment, they demonstrate how they help guide and watch over a patient who is revisiting traumatic memories while under the influence of MDMA.
Courtesy of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
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MDMA, Or Ecstasy, Shows Promise As A PTSD Treatment

Richard Ost owns Philadelphia Pharmacy, in the city's Kensington neighborhood. He says he has stopped carrying Suboxone, for the most part, because the illegal market for the drug brought unwanted traffic to his store.
Nina Feldman/WHYY
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At Nashville's "High Five" camp, 12-year-old Priceless Garinger (center), whose right side has been weakened by cerebral palsy, wears a full-length, bright pink cast on her left arm — though that arm's strong and healthy. By using her weaker right arm and hand to decorate a cape, she hopes to gain a stronger grip and fine motor control.
Blake Farmer/Nashville Public Radio
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At 'High Five' Camp, Struggling With A Disability Is The Point

Gray was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was an infant. She was considering a bone marrow transplant when she heard about the CRISPR study and jumped at the chance to volunteer.
Meredith Rizzo/NPR
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In A 1st, Doctors In U.S. Use CRISPR Tool To Treat Patient With Genetic Disorder

University of Utah doctoral student Jacob George, left, and associate professor Greg Clark examine the LUKE arm that they use for their experiments. A man who lost his lower arm in an electrical accident was able to experience some sense of touch and fine motor control with his grip while using the experimental device.
Dan Hixson/University of Utah College of Engineering
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Brain Scans Find Differences But No Injury In U.S. Diplomats Who Fell Ill In Cuba

Steve Wickham, at home in Grundy County, Tenn., has developed an educational seminar with his wife, and fellow nurse, Karen, that they are using to help people with Type II diabetes bring blood sugar under control with less reliance on drugs.
Blake Farmer/WPLN
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Shots

Shots is the online channel for health stories from the NPR Science Desk. We report on news that can make a difference for your health and show how policy shapes our health choices. Look to Shots for the latest on research and medical treatments, as well as the business side of health. Your hosts are Scott Hensley and Carmel Wroth. You can reach the Shots team via our contact form.